The note in the picture says: . "Christendom's close association with political leaders will soon come to an end." Christendom's close association? Did the Watchtower fail to mention their ownclose association with political leaders? . 2013 Watchtower, July 15, page 13 . . . . Reports filed to OSCE by NGO European Association Of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses http://www.osce.org/odihr/94560 . http://www.osce.org/odihr/94508 http://www.osce.org/odihr/94547 . . NGO letters from European Association Of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses dated November 5, 2012. The first paragraph says: " As a non-government organization, we...... . . . . . https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=2194219&SecMode=1&DocId=1953756&Usage=2 . . .
1st cycle Bulgaria
.
Date of 1st Review : 4th november 2010 .
Report submitted by Bulgaria
. National Report :
http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session9/BG/A_HRC_WG.6_9_BGR_1_E_Bulgaria.pdf . The right to education is dealt with in several occasions and once there is an explicit reference to human rights education (point 126, below). . 113. The Constitution guarantees the right to education of everybody in Bulgaria, which includes compulsory school education until the age of 16. Primary and secondary education in public schools is free of charge. In principle, education in state universities is free of charge as well. The state encourages education by creating and financing schools, assisting talented pupils and students, and creating conditions for professional training and qualification. 114. According to article 54, paragraph 1 of the Constitution everyone is entitled to avail himself/herself of the national and human cultural values, and to develop his/her culture in conformity with his/her ethnic belonging. 115. Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Constitution provides the guarantee that “citizens whose mother tongue is not Bulgarian shall be entitled to learn their own language and to use it alongside the study of Bulgarian.” The state shall provide the required protection and control. 116. The National Education Act contains the following principles: citizens are entitled to education; they can constantly improve their education and qualification; there shall be no limitations or privileges on grounds of race, nationality, sex, ethnic or social origin, religion and social status. 117. Pupils in municipal schools whose mother tongue is not Bulgarian are entitled to study their mother tongues in addition to the compulsory study of the Bulgarian 24 . . 118. Turkish is being studied as a mother tongue, on the basis of school programmes, text books and dictionaries, approved by the Ministry of Education and Sciences for all classes from the first to the eighth grades. Turkish is studied in private secondary Muslim and other schools as well. A number of universities educate teachers in Turkish. Armenian, Hebrew are also studied as mother tongues in Bulgarian schools in several cities and towns. . 119. Romani as a mother tongue has not been taught and studied systematically. Teaching Romani began in some municipal schools in 1992. Despite the efforts undertaken in past years by state institutions and universities, there are not many qualified teachers and necessary text books for the primary and secondary levels and also for specialized philological education. . 120. Romanian and Greek are studied in schools upon request of parents if the required number of pupils is available. . 121. In addition to public schools, there are a lot of private schools where those and other languages are studied. . 122. Pupils and students from foreign countries legally residing in Bulgaria are entitled under the National Education Act, the Higher Education Act and the Asylum and Refugees Act to receive free education in Bulgarian in state and municipal schools and universities. . 123.
An important objective of the educational system is to educate and train Bulgarian citizens to respect and observe the rights of others, their mother tongue, religions and cultures. . 124. Legislation ensures equal access to education and training of children and pupils with special educational needs, including mentally retarded and disabled children. Practical measures are directed at integrating education and reconstructing the network of special schools by shutting down some of them and reforming the activities of the rest 42. Until January 2010 there were 8305 children and pupils with special educational needs in kindergartens and schools. The normative requirements for the integrated education at such institutions are laid down in the National Education Act and its Regulations, the National Plan, the Integration of Retarded and Disabled Persons Act. . 125. There is also the National Education and Youth Policies Development Programme for 2009–2013. It sets out the strategic priorities of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sciences aimed at ensuring equal access to education and an open educational system. . 126. The educational system in Bulgaria also makes extensive use of the UN documents on education.
The Human Rights Education in Bulgaria is part of regular curricula in Bulgaria, under Ordinance No2, dated 18 May 2000.
Civic education, which is a compulsory cross-curricular element of the general school education and training, ensures plenty of other possibilities for teaching and learning human rights. . . NGO Contributions - Bulgaria
. Civil society organizations which have submitted a report. .
* NGOs with consultative status at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) . .
EAJCW The European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses, London, UK. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . JS1 Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation, Bulgaria; The Advocates for Human Rights, USA. . BGRF Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation, Bulgaria. . ILGA The European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association*, Brussels, Belgium. . NNC National Network for Children, Sofia, Bulgaria. . BHC Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Bulgaria. . MDAC Mental Disability Advocacy Centre, Budapest, Hungry. . JS2 Equal Opportunities Association, Sofia, Bulgaria; Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions*, Geneva, Switzerland. . WECF Women in Europe for a Common Future*, Germany. . STP Society for Threatened People*, Göttingen, Germany. . IRPP The Institute on Religion and Public Policy*, Alexandria, USA. .
http://www.cifedhop.org/epu-upr.org/?q=en/book/export/html/214 . . .
OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting . 24 September–5 October 2012 Warsaw 2012 . Listed here on page 15 are: . European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses (Belgium), Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses
Working session 11 (specifically selected topic) (open) . 1. Date: Monday, 1 October 2012 . Opened: 3.05 a.m. Closed: 5.55 p.m. 2. Chairperson: Ms. M. L. Ma za (Executive Committee of religions for Peace International) (Moderator) 3. Subjects discussed – Statements: .
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE, RELIGION OR BELIEF (CONTINUED) . ODIHR, Moderator, Mr. Y. Ktistakis (Democritus University of Thrace) (keynote speaker), NGO “Sandidzan”, United States of America, Lithuania Without Nazism, SOVA Centre for Information and Analysis, International Raelian Movement, Canada, Abkhaz Media Club “Ainar”, European Federation of Centres for Research and Information on Sectarianism, All-Russian Public Organization of Assistance to the Protection of Freedom of Conscience, Open Doors International, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Barnabus Fund, Hayartun, European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses (Belgium), Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses (United Kingdom), Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ukraine, Association of Religious Organizations of Kazakhstan, Committee of Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience, Order of St. Andrew, International Civil Liberties Alliance, Church of Scientology International, Venice Commission, Citizen’s Movement Pax Europa, Soteria International,
HazteOir.org, Pentecostal Christian Congregation “Neues Leben”, Gustav Stresemann Foundation, Finnish Organisation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights “Seta ry”, Muslim Denomination of Bulgaria, Croatia, Braunschweig Evangelical Free Church “Kingdom of God”, European Muslim Initiative for Cohesion, Cojep International Right of reply: Georgia, France, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Lithuania, Turkey, Belgium, Canada 4. Next meeting: Tuesday, 2 October 2012, at 10 a.m., in the plenary hall .
http://www.osce.org/odihr/96558 . . .Christendom's close association? Vulcan
